


Why the ocean doesn't move.

by SadClownGorl



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Gen, Ocean, Personification
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-15 21:18:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19304017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadClownGorl/pseuds/SadClownGorl
Summary: Did you know that the ocean can love? Once the ocean loved a girl, and whenever she came by the tides always got closer and closer to her until one day they actually pulled her in. She played with the water, and it played back. Until one day, the ocean pulled her too far into the water and drowned her. Now the ocean is afraid to move in fear of washing away another.





	Why the ocean doesn't move.

**Author's Note:**

> This was actually turned in as an English assignment but its been in my head for a while.

“Gather by the fire young ones.” An elder woman hobbled near the large fire, kids from four to eighteen circled the flame, wrapping themselves deeper into the furs. A large stump with a small cushion was bare and slowly the woman sat. 

“What will you be telling tonight, Chief Pavati?” A young boy asked. 

“Will it be the tale of the whale's song?” 

“Or will it be the night the bears barked?” 

The group murmured about her many stories and with a wrinkly smile, Pavati spoke. 

“Tonight’s story will be about the day the ocean stopped moving.” 

Few of the older children groaned, already having heard this story millions of times. The younger children scooted closer in hopes of hearing the story better. Pavati coughed into her hand and sucked in the cold air, she sighed and mist left her mouth. 

 

“The ocean, an old god who lays dormant under the ice. Much like us, he had emotions and feelings. Much like us, he can be sad and happy-” 

A child that sat next to her tugged on her sleeve spoke from under the large blanket. 

“Did the ocean ever love?” She asked and Pavati smiled down at the child, she nodded. 

“The ocean did love, the ocean-” 

“Loved.” An older teen huffed, annoyance on his face. 

Pavati’s thin brow twitched up from the second interruption. 

“The ocean loved. He loved the aquatic life that swam inside him and the birds that rested on his head. But the one thing he didn’t love, humans. The sailors who took his loves and replaced them with their killing waste. Humans polluted him and made him weak.” 

“Did the ocean ever fight back?” A young blonde girl asked. 

“Often yes. With the help of the Sky, he fought back. Storms pushed the ocean back and forth, throwing sailors off their boats only to be devoured by the ocean. Tsunami’s crashed into cities and land was destroyed.” The ground rumbled and the group gasped. 

“The land isn't a fan of tsunamis.” 

A small toddler crawled onto the shore, her tiny fingers suddenly found a small seashell in the wet sand and unexpectedly salt water covered her hand and stole the shell from her grip. The baby’s chubby face crinkled up and tears spilled out, the ocean pushed itself onto the shore and covered the baby’s hands again. When the ocean pulled away it left a multitude of shells, all of different colors and sizes. Some sparkle, others covered in barnacles. One shell held a small crab that departed his home and into the ocean. The infant's eyes were wide with joy and she gathered as many shells she could hold. 

The toddler waddled away towards her waiting parents and the ocean waved onto the shore, taking the leftover shells to save them for her the next day. From then on, almost every day the girl visited the ocean. The ocean gave her gifts, shells that shined and seaweed she wrapped around her waist. Small crabs would be sent to her, in their pincers held pearls. With each pearl she was given she made them into necklaces and bracelets, the jewelry shined brightly when she visited her friend.

When the girl grew to be a young adult she decided to move closer to her dear friend. With the money, she gained from selling pearl and shell jewelry she rented a home on the shore. In her new home she could finally be closer to her friend, she visited him daily and nightly, the two would splash each other for hours and when that was over she would float peacefully. Often small fish would skim her legs and thank her for making their father so happy. 

 

Patavi coughed into her hand and a small child quickly huddled closer to her, trying to warm her up. Patavi smiled down at the child and wrapped her blanket across her. 

“I’m all right, Selene.” 

“Can you still tell the story?” The child asked from under the blanket. 

Patavia nodded and continued the tale. 

 

Many days and nights passed, the girl saw many sides of the ocean. She saw him battle his brother, the Sky, the ocean trying to prevent a tsunami from hurting the girl. She’s seen him scold sharks who tried to take a bite out of her, but not often would she see days when his tide was high. 

The sky was unseen, dark clouds covered the blue sky. The Ocean grazed the girl's cheek, she fell asleep on the shore again. Sand stuck to her cheek and arms and before he could wash it away a large gust pushed him away. 

 

“You’re getting too close, brother.” The Sky whispered with the wind. 

“Am not! I’m just trying to clean her.” The Ocean argued and his waves rose on the shore grazing her feet. 

“Your tide is high, it’s too dangerous for you to touch her.” 

“But I’ve touched her plenty of times and she’s fine.” 

“That doesn’t matter now, she is vulnerable. You should've never even started this friendship.” 

“And why is that?” The Ocean’s waves stirred onto the shore and washed away a sign. 

“Because you’ll regret it. Look at her, she has grown and soon enough she will be too old to swim with you.” The wind started to blow and palm trees, painfully leaves were pulled off the trees. 

“I’ll be gentle with her when she’s old! I promise!” The Ocean’s tide only grew higher with the argument and water started to devour the girl. 

“Friendship is a simple human connection, only humans can do it because they will die together! If she leaves you or..” 

“Or what?” 

“Or dies! You will be heartbroken I just know it. So brother please, stop this before someone gets hurt.” The Sky lowered the leaves it stole and ever so gently, did the leaves land on the wet sand. 

“Ocean… Do you even know the girl's name?” The Sky whispered and suddenly the Oceans waves pulled back from the shore. 

“Hali… Hali?” The Ocean stated her name and the wind stopped. 

“Hali, Where did you go?” The Ocean asked, his waves scanned the shore. 

A bubble popped on the roof of the Ocean, quickly he commanded the nearest creatures to investigate. Dolphins squeaked and swam to where the bubble came from. 

The sky started to clear, the lights shined into the ocean and scanned the bottom of the sea. Thunder clapped suddenly from the clear sky and slowly a figure rose from the floor. Light glimmered off the water droplets that fell from the girls face. 

“Hali…” The ocean whispered and he pushed dark strands of hair from her face. Her hair was swaying in the water, the braid unmade. Her honey eyes were turning gray and seaweed stuck to her skin, her deep tan was graying from the lack of air. A wave pushed her body gently towards the shore, slowly her body reached the shore. The light directed peoples attention to her corpse and quickly her body was taken. 

A small child watched as the girl's body was taken away from the Ocean, she looked towards the water and gasped. No waves washed onto the shore, the ocean stood still. The small girl tugged on her mother’s dress. 

“Momma look! The Ocean it stopped!” The girl said to her mother and she picked her child up, she held onto her mother’s white sleeves and the two looked towards the Ocean. A shiver went up the woman’s spine and her daughter’s teeth started to clatter. 

“Come on, Patavia Let’s go inside it’s starting to get cold.”


End file.
